Not a Love Potion
by TheAlmightyMuffin
Summary: Alfred is a starry-eyed prince, cursed with a family known for inheriting lethal dieseses. Arthur is a pharmacist with a reputation for curing almost any sickness, but was cursed at birth with magical powers that, if found out, were punishable by death. When Alfred shows up at Arthur's door, begging for him to cure his dying father, there is not much room for Arthur to refuse. USUK
1. Chapter 1

"No you don't…". At the wave of his hand, two jars, inches away from smashing to the ground, stopped, leisurely glided back to their place on the shelves. Glancing around to see if anyone witnessed his small act of sorcery, Arthur continued to bustle around his shop as if nothing happened.

It was just like any other day, he thought to himself. Customers perusing the cramped aisles and cooing over the sweet smelling medicines laid out for them. People came from far and wide just to get a whiff of one of his homebrewed potions. It was a well known fact Arthur was the best pharmacist in miles, so there was never a dull moment for him at the shop.

The most abnormal thing he could recall from this day was the scary older-brother that had stopped by around noon. He had been oddly aggressive when telling him about about his younger sister's chicken pox. It was an easy cure, and he would have been happy to point the man in the direction of the medicine he was looking for if it wasn't for the constant glare being sent at him. There was also the large knife strapped to his side Arthur had pretended not to notice when the man entered. Wanting the transaction to be over as fast as possible (and before he was stabbed) he hurriedly found the vials the man required and took the coins he received without even checking the amount. The creep kept his eyes on him the whole time, and Arthur was relieved when he finally left.

Yes, just an ordinary day for Arthur Kirkland, pharmacist extraordinaire. He was just about the hang the little 'closed' sign on his door. That was until the door caved down on him.

Recoiling into a shelf, Arthur cursed,"What in the hell do you think you're doing!" but was soon to regret it. Squinting at the broad silhouette on his placemat, Arthur was shocked to realize it was Prince Alfred knocking down his door after hours.

His first thought was, naturally, 'oh god, they've found me out,' but he realized that was not it at all when the prince, hunched awkwardly in the doorway, laughed nervously and gave a short wave hello.

/

It was hard to shake the powerful presence one felt upon being around the prince. Not only did his intimidating stature make Arthur feel like an ant in comparison, but the way he greeted him (after apologizing about the door, of course. The boy had at least some manners,) was so loud Arthur swore he sent jars rattling.

He was also surprisingly charismatic. Arthur, being a gentleman to the grave, invited the prince into his small home behind the store, served tea, and treated the prince as his own guest. Prince Alfred himself was nothing like Arthur had perceived him. He was loud, obnoxious, and laughed shamelessly over his own jokes. Despite Arthur having no idea why the literal Prince of Spades came knocking down his door (and Alfred guiltily avoiding the topic), he found himself enjoying their slightly-one-sided conversation.

Eventually Alfred's expression turned serious as he explained his impromptu royal visit. "My father, the king...he's going to die. Soon. People have told me you're one of the best at curing illnesses in all the kingdoms, and I need you to cure him, please!" He begged. Arthur was taken back by the bluntness of the prince's plead, but then his blood ran cold and anxiety pitted in his gut as he realized what it meant.

There were times Arthur had been almost too lucky throughout his life. Many people were already getting suspicious about how he managed to brew such effective medicines, and many of them were correct, though Arthur would be damned before he admitted to having magic.

But being a mage not only meant a sure death by decapitation, it also guaranteed gruesome deaths for your whole family. Nobles these days were extraordinarily paranoid about magic spreading throughout the bloodline and were sure to eradicate anyone with potentially magic genes.

Turning away from the prince, Arthur realized there was absolutely no way he could accept the prince's request. "I'm sorry, your majesty, I just-"

 _Helping you is a death sentence._

"I-I'm not sure if I would be able to-"

 _You'd kill me, I'm sure of it._

"I might not have-"

 _My brothers too while you're at it._

The prince got what Arthur was trying to get across. His whole body visibly sagged, and the light his eyes held just a minute ago seemed to drain away. Clearing his throat, the prince turned his head, "That's completely fine. I mean, it was a lot to ask of you. What was I thinking, just a bursting into your shop like that," he paused, "I just thought maybe-"

He leant forward, invading Arthur's personal space. His hands desperately reached for Arthur over the table. "Please!" He begged, burying his face in the table and stifling sobs. "We've been to every doctor in this kingdom! My brother's already sickly enough, and without my father! He'll just...I don't know what I'll do! Please…"

Arthur pried his hand from Alfred's grasp to soothingly run it through his hair. He barely knew the kid, but here he was getting his royal snot all over his table cloth. But the charisma and enthusiasm he had while speaking with others drew Arthur naturally towards, like the earth drawn to the sun, so he continued threading his fingers through the soft what hair.

Eventually the prince pulled back, rubbing his hand under his nose and apologizing profusely, quick to lift his head and straighten out his hair, "T-that was completely uncalled for. I didn't mean to burst in your store and suddenly cry about all my problems to you, haha...but I'll be going now. Sorry." He awkwardly stood and turned towards the door, but Arthur reached out and grabbed his wrist before he could go.

"Prince Alfred, I…"

Guilt churned in his stomach.

 _I'll walk straight into death._

"I'll do it."

/

'i am the stupidest person on this planet," Arthur thought to himself. He let out his frustration by angrily shoving things into his travel sack, packing away all the things he would need while staying at the Royal Castle as well as the things he would need to help the king in his illness. One thing he would be happy to leave behind though was his magic.

'Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.' But he really was left with no choice. Though the prince came alone, didn't pressure him or threaten him with any sort of consequence should he refuse, only the most heartless of creatures would be able to refuse the boy after they knew of his situation. The whole date of spades rested on his shoulders, and Arthur would do his best to ease it off him even a little.

Letting out a sigh, he watched as his pocket watch ticked to noon and the royal carriage slowed to a stop outside his door, right on time. Scooping up his belongings and posting a note on his shop door about his absence, Arthur wearily climbed into the carriage, praying to whatever gods were out there that his magic would behave.

/

 **this has been a plot floating around in my head for a while so I decided to just put my foot down and actually write it. I have already planned pretty much the whole story so I just have to get the motivation to actually write it out and make the chapters long as I'm used to doing short one shots and not multi chapter stuff lol so I hope you enjoyed the first chapter :)**


	2. Chapter 2

'Go in and do you best. If you cure him, great, if not, that's too bad, then return to your village with your head still attached to your shoulders,' was the plan Arthur formulated during his carriage ride to the castle. The plush seats were perhaps the softest think he ever had the luxury to sit on, which made him wonder what kind of conditions he would be exposed to while in the Royal Castle itself. Maybe they would give him a servant's room where he would sleep on a plank of wood and be served a slice of bread. Or maybe he'd receive a room reserved for visiting dukes and barons with canopy beds and queen sized mattresses.

It was also now more than ever that Arthur wished he had his mother here to provide advice on what to do and give him tips on suppressing his magical tendencies. At least he wasn't as bad as when he was a child. Back then a fork would just suddenly fly up from the dinner table and launch itself at his brother's head. But still, when he was feeling angry or overwhelmed, maybe a window would crack or a fairy stop by and try to comfort him. He appreciated the fairies, but tried to avoid them as much as possible as talking to them made him look very suspicious as well as straight up crazy.

While lost in his thoughts, Arthur hadn't even noticed the horses had stopped their constant patter when sunlight suddenly streamed in through the open door and he was escorted to the front gates.

To say the castle was magnificent was an understatement. He had never seen anything like it apart from in books. Long windows stretched up and down between smooth white stone. Banners of blue stood out from the monochrome bricks and accented the dark wood doors that marked the entrance.

Prince Alfred himself was waiting for him through the entrance gates. He dismissed the staff with a wave of his hand before beaming at Arthur with his sunshine smile. His long blue garments, decorated with spades, fit perfectly in with the surrounding castle.

"I hope you had a smooth ride over? The trip is quite lengthy, it was very kind of you to agree to come over." Prince Alfred explained as he began touring the castle.

Arthur gave him a tight smile. "Of course, my Prince. It would have been almost equivalent to treason to decline," he said somewhat jokingly, but partly serious.

Alfred wrinkled his nose. "'My prince' is way too stuffy and formal. Everyone just calls me Alfred."

"Ah, ok... Alfred," Arthur replied somewhat awkwardly.

Alfred grinned, hooking his arm through Arthur's and taking his bags, "That's more like it! Now, let me show you around."

/

After what seemed like hours of traveling through long hallways, decorated with expensive carpets and doors upon doors leading to yet another ballroom or parlor, they finally made it to Arthur's room.

On their way they had run into Alfred's twin brother, Prince Mathew. Admittedly, Arthur hadn't even noticed him passing in the hallway until Alfred pulled him over and introduced them. When Alfred said his brother was sickly, he wasn't lying. The prince's voice was feeble at best and his skin was unhealthily pale. He didn't stick around long and hurried down the hall after a quiet goodbye.

Arthur's room was average sized and very well kept. He mentally berated himself for thinking it would be anything different. There was no lush canopy bed or huge vanity of course, but there was a well kept bed and a small dresser to go with it.

Alfred pushed into the room and set Arthur's bags on the wardrobe, "I know it isn't much, but this is one of the the normal rooms we use for visiting doctors and such, so hopefully it will be ok. If you need anything, just let me know!"

"Nonsense Alfred, I'm sure you're busy, and you have already been kind enough. There is lots of staff around that I'm sure can assist me,* Arthur replied.

Running a hand through his hair, the prince sighed, "That reminds me, I have some stuff to get done. But I'm serious, don't hesitate to give me a shout for anything, yeah? I'll see you later."

Once Alfred had left, Arthur set out to unpack his clothing and place it in the wardrobe, as well as find out where the king was to hopefully start his work right away. But after stepping out of his room with a bag full of colourful liquids and plants, he realized he had no idea where to go.

Deciding to head right, opposite the way he came from, Arthur journeyed through the old castle halls like a man on a mission, determined not to ask anyone for help lest his pride be hurt. But the ornate decorations and stone walls blurred together very fast, and soon Arthur realized he was hopelessly lost.

/

The man was just about ready to swallow his pride and ask a passing servant when a "Pssst! Over here!" was heard from around a corner.

"Huh? Who's there?" Arthur wondered aloud, turning the corner but stopping dead in his tracks once he found the speaker.

Flying mint bunny flew up and circled Arthur excitedly before resting on his shoulder and nuzzling his face. "It's so good to see you Arthur! I missed you!" She exclaimed.

"Bunny!" Arthur hissed, pushing her away, 'You can't be here!"

"But why? Your lost and I know my way around!"

Looking around to see if anyone was watching, Arthur said, very quietly, "Take me to the king."

The magical rabbit flew happily in a loop before soaring up ahead. "I know these halls better than anyone, I'll get you there in no time Arthur!"

"God help me…" Arthur muttered as a reply.

True to her word, Flying Mint Bunny led Arthur straight to the king's bedroom. She tried to stick around, but he was quick to subtly shoo her away. He felt bad for being so cruel to a long time friend, but now was really not a good time.

/

A huge dark oak door that looked purposefully out of place served as the entrance to the king's chambers. People were constantly entering and exiting the room, some carrying trays of expensive, barely eaten meals while others came bringing fresh sheets and blankets. Arthur was just about to enter when a hand roughly grabbed his shoulder and stopped him.

"I'm sorry, but do you have the authorization to enter the king's private chambers? Not just anyone is allowed to stroll right in."

Arthur turned around to see an older man with a long, dark ponytail and expensive Spades attire staring at him with a calculating gaze.

Arthur stared right back at the man, moving out of his grasp. "I am here with medicine for the king's illness. I was invited by Prince Alfred to stay and would appreciate it if you allowed me to get on with my job."

The man's gaze grew knowing instead. "Ah, I see. You are the pharmacist from the east the young prince spoke about. Well, I am Yao Wang, the Ace of this kingdom, so if you have any questions or concerns feel free to speak with me. I wish you the best of luck," Yao replied with new warmth in his tone, reaching out his hand to shake.

Realizing he had just openly disrespected one of the most important members of the kingdom, Arthur quickly shook the Ace's hand and apologized. "I'm very sorry for my attitude, I did not realize," The elder man simply nodded and wandered away.

Turning back to the door, Arthur made his way across the threshold and entered the bedroom with a bad feeling.

/

 **woo this chapters done. It is pretty much filler for the next chapter, so sorry if it was very boring. The plot should pick up form here and start getting interesting I hope. Thank you for reading. Hope you have a good day / night :)**


	3. Chapter 3

The dimly-lit room was cool when Arthur entered. It had the same sterile scent you would find in a doctor's office, but it also held the same cozy atmosphere a bedroom should.

The room was large (as to be expected of a king's quarters). The windows were lengthy with long blue curtains pulled over them, casting a cool light over everything. A couple maids stood by the king's bed, adjusting the sheets or checking his temperature. Though the bed's canopy hung low, Arthur could make out the king lying dully in the center.

Setting his bag on the bedside table, Arthur spoke a few words with one of the maids before reaching out to the king. His skin was pale and hot to the touch. At the pharmacist's cool touch, he stirred and peeked open his azure eyes.

He was a very large man (his muscles could even be made out from under the sheets), but despite the intimidating stature, his gaze was very gentle. Arthur immediately recognized his eyes as being the same as his son Alfreds.

"Hello, your Majesty. My name is Arthur Kirkland, I was sent here with medicine to assist you in your illness," he said quietly, picking a few vials out of his bag.

The king stared at him for a long time, and Arthur began to grow unnerved. 'Can he tell I have magic?' he thought, but then the king's face grew into a gentle smile. "Ah, you are the doctor from the east my son told me about. It's a pleasure to meet you in person,"

The king extended a shaking hand to Arthur. "The pleasure is all mine, your Majesty," he replied, carefully shaking his hand.

The king coughed briefly into his arm before allowing his head to fall back onto the pillow, tired eyes staring up at the ceiling.

"I appreciate my son bringing you here, but I'm afraid it was in vain. Despite what my children try and tell me, I am dying and I know it. You can pack up your medicine, son, I have no need for that here."

"But your Majesty, you cannot just give up, all people of Spades are counting on you to lead them!" Arthur said, shocked at how at peace the king was with just rolling over and accepting defeat. He ruled Spades, the most aggressive and prideful kingdom, yet was allowing himself to be brought down by a mere illness.

The kings laugh was hollow. "But you see, there is nothing anyone can do...this is not a story I tell many people, but something tells me you should hear it," Arthur looked at him suspiciously, but the king continued.

"Long, long ago, when Spades was having one of their many wars with Clubs, Spades had taken one of their mighty mages as prisoner. He had screamed non-stop as they brought him in, claiming to be a pawn used by clubs and that he was loyal to the Spadian crown," he looked distantly out the window, blue eyes far away.

"Of course, they did not listen and had him tortured as well as scheduled to be executed the next afternoon. When the time came and he was brought up to the guillotine, the man spit on the crowd and cursed Spades, cursed himself for ever being loyal to them, and finally, cursed the monarch to an endless cycle of death and suffering."

Arthur was shocked. He barely understood the laws of curses and long lasting spells, but he was smart enough to understand why the king was telling him this story, why magic was such a crime in this kingdom. "So that means…"

"Yes," the king nodded. "The current king at that time, my great great great great grandfather, died exactly a week after the execution from mysterious illness. Ever since then, kings or heirs to the Spade's crown have all died from the same illness, suffering with a weakened body and pain until dropping dead."

"But there has to be a way to end it, a counter curse, a cure…"

Talking took a lot out of the king in his weakened state, so he just shook his head before allowing his eyes to flutter closed and body to to limp.

Unsure what to do with this new information, Arthur packed his bag up and left to retire to his room. He knew it was stupid coming here, he knew there would be nothing he could do, and resolved to request a horse tomorrow to take him home. Tampering with powerful curses was dangerous and he had no desire to do anything of the sort.

But as he was walking down the halls to his room, he felt a tab on his shoulder and turned to see prince Alfred's face in his. "Arthur! Just the guy I was looking for!" He said.

Arthur, internally cringing, turned to face the prince and greet him. It had been a long day and all he really wanted was to get back to him room and sleep, but gentlemen were polite and didn't run away from conversation.

"Did you speak with my father? Is he cured? Oh, how are you? Did you get lost? I know the castle can be confusing to get around! How did…" he trailed off, chuckling to himself slightly at the look on Arthur's face before becoming more serious. "Sorry, I got carried away. But I mean, did you speak with him?"

"Yes, I spoke with him for a while, but…" Arthur looked as the prince, his grin that seemed ever so forced and his mussed up hair. As the older twin he was the heir to the throne, which meant doing all the king's work while he was ill. Deciding not to give the prince even more to stress about, he said, "It went well."

The prince's smile seemed to grow a bit more genuine, and he clapped Arthur on the shoulder and thanked him. Offering to lead the way back to Arthur's room, he replied with a small but heartfelt, "I'd like that."

The walk back was quite long (as it turns out, Arthur had been heading in the complete wrong direction), but prince Alfred was great company. He felt like his humor and personality would fit in really well with his brothers', but then again, they all hated anything that came from the capital.

He felt a warm feeling in his chest by the time they made it to his door, but the feeling was plagued by the guilt of lying to him, as well as the dread of telling Alfred tomorrow of his departure. Staying was useless though, as there was nothing he could do for the king without magic, which was not even an option.

/

When Arthur woke up the next morning, it was because of the loud noises coming from the hallway. It sounded as if there was a stampede of bulls was let loose out there. Changing into more acceptable clothing, he glanced out the window and noticed a whole sea of people surrounding the castle that certainly wasn't there yesterday.

The hallways were so clogged with people trying to go every which way that even getting out his door was a hassle. The maid outside his door tried and failed to shove her way through a group of stable workers.

"Excuse me?" He asked her, "Do you have any idea what's going on?"

She looked at him as if he had grown a second head.

"Haven't you heard the news? The king is dead, he passed away last night in his sleep."

/

 **thank you for reading :-)**


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